Climate Change Strategy Phase 1: MidCoast Council
8.11 Carbon offsets
Description
This Strategy advocates for a net zero emissions reduction target for Council’s operations by 2040. It is feasible that by this time most emissions from energy will have been eliminated, however some emissions may remain, for example in heavy fleet such as trucks and large road plant, as well as waste. Future revisions to this Strategy may consider Council’s supply chain emissions, such as emissions in goods and services that Council purchases. These are referred to as scope 3 supply chain emissions, and Australia’s Climate Active standard sets out methodologies for estimation of these that are aligned with global standards. Given the potential for Council to have residual emissions by 2040, it is prudent to be aware of carbon offset options that are available that could help Council to achieve its targets. This section outlines the national standard for carbon neutrality and what this may look like for MidCoast Council given the experience of other local councils. What is Climate Active? Currently, the ’gold standard’ for carbon neutrality in Australia is Climate Active certification (formerly the ‘National Carbon Offset Standard’, or NCOS). NCOS was launched by the Australian Government in 2010 to provide a credible framework for achieving carbon neutrality. Initially, the Standard was designed for organisations, products and services and was expanded to events, buildings and precincts in 2017. The Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations (Organisation Standard) is a voluntary standard to manage greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality. It provides best-practice guidance on how to measure, reduce, offset, validate and report emissions that occur as a result of the operations of an organisation (encompassing scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions as explained earlier). Further information is available at www.climateactive.org.au. What additional emissions might MidCoast Council need to consider? As well as residual scope 1 and 2 emissions (such as from transport fuel), Council may need to consider its supply chain scope 3 emissions under Climate Active, including: 1.
Purchased goods and services
2.
Capital goods
3.
Fuel- and energy-related activities (not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2)
4.
Upstream transportation and distribution
5.
Waste generated in operations
6.
Business travel
7.
Employee commuting
8.
Upstream leased assets
9.
Downstream transportation and distribution
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